WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATION 2019
Ghana will join the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Environment Day on Thursday, 6th June 2019.
World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, which takes place on June 5 every year and is celebrated by thousands of communities worldwide. However, due to the likelihood that 5th June 2019 will be declared a national holiday (Eid-ul Fitr), Ghana will mark the day on 6th June 2019.
The global theme for this year’s event is “Air Pollution.” Air pollution is a global emergency affecting everyone. Approximately 7 million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution. World Environment Day 2019 will urge governments, industry, communities, and individuals to improve air quality in cities and regions across the world by putting in place solutions across a wide range of sectors.
In Ghana, the day will be observed under the theme “Clean Air; Our Lifeline and Shared Responsibility.”
Statistics indicate that lower respiration infection (LR) is 2nd to Malaria and causes 3000 deaths in children under 5 years among the 10 Burden of diseases in Ghana (Ghana Health Services, 2010). While 2,800 preventable lives were lost in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) in 2015 due to the effects of air pollution and related diseases such as respiratory, cardiovascular, lungs and pulmonary diseases, aggravation of asthma, etc.
The Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation is embarking on a week-long outreach programmes in GAMA to sensitize identified groups; fish processors, Kenkey Sellers, scrap dealers and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU); on the harmful effects of open burning, vehicular emissions and air pollution in general as part of activities to mark this year’s celebration.
The outreach is also intended to introduce the groups to some air quality technologies such as the Improve Cooking Stoves, demonstrations on air quality measurements and its implication to human health and environment.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, will deliver a keynote address and launch the Ghana Air Quality Standards at a symposium being organized at the AMA auditorium on 6th June 2019 to climax this year’s event.
Participating institutions will comprise stakeholders from Government agencies, Academia, Private sector, NGOs, the Media, and Development Partners.
Together We Can #BeatAirPollution
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